Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

If I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

This is my defense to those who examine me.

Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

Do we not have the right to eat and drink?

Have we not power to eat and to drink?

Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

Or is it only Barnabas and I who lack the right to not work for a living?

Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

Who serves as a soldier at their own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink the milk from the flock?

Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

Do I say these things merely from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law also say the same?

Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

For it is written in the law of Moses: "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." Is it oxen that God is concerned about?

For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

Or does He say this entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake because the plowman ought to plow in hope and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the harvest.

Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you?

If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

If others have this right to receive from you, shouldn’t we have it even more? But we have not used this right. Instead, we endure all things so that we will not be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the offerings of the altar?

Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

But I have not made use of any of these rights, and I am not writing this to make it happen for me. I would rather die than let anyone deprive me of my reason for boasting.

But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to do so. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

If I do this willingly, I have a reward. But if unwillingly, I am simply entrusted with a responsibility.

For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

What then is my reward? It is that when I preach the gospel, I may offer it free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to everyone, so that I might win more of them.

For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law, I became like one under the law, even though I myself am not under the law, to win those under the law.

And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

To those without the law, I became like one without the law (not being without God’s law but under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.

To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

To the weak, I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all possible means I might save some.

To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we do it to receive an imperishable one.

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

Therefore, I run with purpose in every step; I fight not like someone beating the air.

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

Rather, I discipline my body and bring it under control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.